


Haru's Secret

by Garowyn



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Comedy, Gen, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 14:56:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11831091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garowyn/pseuds/Garowyn
Summary: Haru has a secret that's causing her to avoid everyone while acting strangely. On orders from Reborn for the safety of the Vongola Family and Haru herself, Tsuna and the rest of the gang investigate.





	1. Target One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Cross-posting from FFN, so I'm uploading all five chapters at once. I started this in 2010 and only finished in 2016 (life got busy). It is my final KHR fic (whether I post the others from pre-2010 is undecided; they will require some rewriting) due to my semi-retirement from fan fic, and I wanted to post it on AO3, too. I haven't closely read through it since last year, though, and I'd probably rewrite some parts if I had the time. But for now, I hope this story is enjoyable. It is intended to reflect Daily Life arcs. In this story, they are in high school already, and Hana is the only one who doesn’t know about the Vongolas yet or Reborn’s true identity.

She sat in her usual spot, staring at her folded hands resting on the desktop; a sixteen-year-old girl with lengthening (it fell just below her shoulders now, and she looked as beautiful as ever) honey-brown hair and worry-filled eyes. Tsuna hated to see her look so unlike her normal, cheery self; the rest of the class had no right to be excitable and talkative with Kyoko silent and subdued. If only he were closer to her instead of sitting across from her, a desk between them.

 _Go to her_ , his inner voice said. Class had not yet begun – there was still time. But nervousness bubbled up in his stomach at the prospect of actually getting out of his desk and going over to hers, and talking to her – _still_ , even after knowing her for a few years now; after going through several, life-changing ordeals with the mafia with _her_ somewhere behind him or by his side in silent support. They were definitely friends, but he still had romantic intentions, and was afraid to be too forward with her, lest he ruin the friendship they already had.

 _Just go_. Tsuna grimaced, looking down at the blank page of his open notebook. There it was again; that confident tone, that assertive part of him that seemed to appear out of nowhere when he least expected it – a very helpful side of him during tense confrontations with mafiosi or when his friends were in danger.

He glanced at her again.

Kyoko leaned forward and held her head in her hands.

Tsuna blew a short sigh, and rose from his seat. Smoothing out his white, button-up, school shirt and unconsciously touching the back his head, Tsuna went to jump over the still-empty desk seat between them. He tripped, however. “Augh!” One of his legs hadn’t quite made it over entirely, and he met the cool floor, feeling like it all was happening in slow motion, his dignity fading away piece by piece.

“Tenth!” came Gokudera’s voice from somewhere to the right. Immediately, firm hands gripped his underarms and pulled him to his feet. “Are you all right? Are you _hurt?_ ”

Tsuna figured that his face had to be as red as that cherry-shaped hairpin pinning back several locks of Kyoko’s hair. She stared at him in surprise. “Tsuna-kun, are you okay?”

“Yo, Tsuna! You should be more careful, ha, ha!” Yamamoto was at his left side, but Tsuna didn’t feel like looking at his friends or _anyone_ right at that moment.

“The Tenth is _always_ careful, baseball idiot!” Gokudera snapped, “He just had a temporary lapse of judgment, that’s all! These desks are pieces of junk that should be thrown out _!”_

Yamamoto responded with a chuckle, and Kyoko’s sudden giggle brought him back to earth. “Uh, um…” Tsuna dusted his arms off, trying to save face. “S-Sorry about that, Kyoko-chan,” he said, forcing himself to look at her.

Kyoko shook her head, smiling. “It happens to everyone."

Tsuna couldn’t help smiling in return, despite his embarrassment. His stomach was significantly less antsy now. “Uh…I was wondering…” He paused, and noticed that Gokudera and Yamamoto had not left the scene. They were both standing there, dressed in the same high school uniforms and wearing almost the same curious expressions. Neither of them was known for getting the hint in these kinds of situations. He just had to deal with them being there for now. “Um, I couldn’t help noticing that you…look kind of sad, Kyoko-chan.”

Her smile faded slightly, then altogether at once, and he regretted asking.

“Ah, but you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to! I-I’m just concerned and-and I—”

“It’s all right, Tsuna-kun.” Her mouth formed a grim line. “It’s Haru-chan,” she said.

 _Haru?_ “What about Haru?”

“I haven’t seen her lately. We’ve talked on the phone a few times, but she’s always…busy. Like…” Kyoko lowered her eyes to the side. “Like she’s avoiding me.”

That didn’t sound like Haru at all. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen the Miura girl for awhile and felt guilty for not noticing until now. “I’m sure she’s not avoiding you,” Tsuna insisted.

“Yeah,” Yamamoto chimed in, “Don’t worry about it. Haru’s in a pretty prestigious high school, and probably has a lot to do. She’s in the gymnastics club, too, isn’t she? That probably takes up a lot of her time, too.”

“Gymnastics?” Tsuna echoed. “I didn’t know she was still doing that.”

“ _That_ clumsy girl? I find that hard to believe,” Gokudera scoffed, and turned away from them, heading back to his desk.

“You’re probably right, Yamamoto-kun.” Kyoko smiled again, but Tsuna could tell it was forced.

“Or maybe not,” said a disembodied voice next to his ear.

Tsuna yelped and jumped, sending whatever was on his shoulder into the air. “ _Reborn!_ I hate when you do that!”

Reborn, who was now situated on Yamamoto’s shoulder instead, wore a book costume, his head sticking out of the top, and his arms and legs at the sides and bottom.

“Reborn-chan!” Kyoko gasped.

“Ciaossu.”

“Hey, kid,” Yamamoto greeted the hitman with a grin. “What are you doing here?”

“More importantly, _how_ did you get in here?” Tsuna demanded, although he knew that he really shouldn’t be so surprised. Reborn did this from time to time, showing up their school wearing either costumes or his usual black suit and hat.

“That is of no concern,” Reborn simply answered, “Instead, we should consider the mystery of Haru. For all we know, someone may be threatening her in an attempt to get through to the Vongola.”

His comment met only silence until Tsuna broke it: “Reborn! Why would you _say_ a thing like that?!” He glanced quickly at Kyoko, seeing her worried expression and mentally cursed Reborn for putting the unwelcome idea out there.

“It happens all the time in the movies,” Reborn answered matter-of-factly, “especially mafia-centered ones.”

“But this is _not_ a movie!”

“Someone’s threatening the Vongola?” Gokudera burst onto the scene again, a bit too excitedly, Tsuna noticed. “Who? How? I’ll take of them for you, Boss!” he said, turning to Tsuna with a strange mixture of glee and fury on his face while clenching his fists.

“Oh no, I hope Haru’s okay!” Kyoko said.

Tsuna waved his hands in front of him, telling her, “No, no, I’m sure she’s fine!” before facing Reborn. “Reborn, don’t say things like that!”

“One should always consider the possibility,” Reborn said, “The Vongola _are_ shaping up to an even more powerful family, after all. You would do well to look after every member carefully, No-Good Tsuna.”

The nickname hardly bothered him anymore; he had grown too used to hearing it. “Sshhh!” Tsuna glanced about the classroom, hoping no one had heard. “Keep your voice down!”

“Do you really think someone is?” Yamamoto asked Reborn.

“Not to worry,” Reborn replied, “I am sure Tsuna will get down to the bottom of this matter.”

“What? _Me?_ ”

“Tsuna-kun!” Kyoko looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Are you really going to find out?”

“Uh…” All eyes were upon him, waiting for the answer that would soothe Kyoko’s worries – that’s what they were all thinking, he guessed. Quite frankly, he hadn’t been _too_ worried about Haru (a packed schedule seemed the most probable reason) until Reborn had brought up more sinister possibilities. Now…

Tsuna took a deep breath and smiled reassuringly at Kyoko. “I’ll find out after school if there’s anything wrong or not, but I bet she’s okay and is just busy with school.”

Kyoko’s expression immediately softened into gratitude. “Thank you, Tsuna-kun.” If seeing her mood change because of his words didn’t fill him with happiness, her next words certainly delighted him to no end: “I’ll come with you.”

Alone – he was going to be _alone_ with Kyoko! Even if it did concern a serious matter, Tsuna couldn’t help the excitement bubbling over in him. Maybe this situation would bring them closer together—

“Yeah, we’ll come, too,” offered Yamamoto.

“I’m only going for you, Boss,” Gokudera said, shooting a glare at Yamamoto.

“I’ll ask Hana-chan,” Kyoko added, “and I’m sure Onii-chan will come, too.”

Tsuna’s joy faded in an instant. “Great…just great.”

* * *

The gang was expected to gather at Tsuna’s house after dinner, where his mom was clearing away the table with Bianchi’s help and the kids were running around in circles, chasing each other with the exception of Reborn, who waited patiently with Tsuna in the living room. At the request of Kyoko and Tsuna – in order to prevent Hana from breaking out into hives – Reborn was wearing a monkey suit with only his face showing, disguised as a stuffed toy.  
  
First, Ryohei, Kyoko, and Hana arrived together. The two girls sat down on the floor together after greeting Tsuna and began chatting about some math homework. Ryohei remained standing, boxing with an invisible opponent while not-so-subtly hinting at the apparent need for Tsuna to join the team only minutes after entering the house. “It’s extremely invigorating! You won’t regret it!”  
  
For one moment, Tsuna considered giving in to Ryohei’s incessant requests, because boxing – or rather, any kind of sport – would perhaps help him gain some respect as a fighter and build up his physical strength. But then, boxing was Ryohei’s forte and not that of a still-scrawny teenage boy, who wielded authority over others that he did not care to have. “Thanks but no thanks, Onii-san,” Tsuna answered with his hundredth apologetic smile.  
  
Yamamoto arrived next with a bag of sushi treats—an expression of gratitude in a way considered only the best by a family well-experienced in the art of traditional cuisine. “The old man wants me to thank you for your trouble in looking after me,” Yamamoto explained with a sheepish grin. Tsuna graciously accepted the food while insisting that Yamamoto’s company was no trouble at all. Yamamoto just chuckled and patted Tsuna’s shoulder.  
  
Fifteen minutes went by with no sign of Gokudera. Tsuna glanced at the digital clock on a small table, which housed a lamp and a recent family photo of just the three Sawadas and all their (mostly unwanted, in his opinion) housemates on the wall. “It’s not like him to be late,” he murmured, more to himself than anything.  
  
Precisely three seconds after his remark, the front door slammed open and a familiar voice shouted, “Tenth! Sorry I’m late!”

 _Thud!_  
  
“Gokudera-kun!” Tsuna jumped to his feet and ran to the front hall, where Gokudera was bent over, grabbing his fallen books and magazines. “What’s all this?”  
  
Gokudera straightened up, rearranging the literature in his arms as he did. “I figured it’s always good to be prepared,” he answered, heading for the living room. Without acknowledging anyone else, Gokudera dropped his pile of books and magazines onto the middle table. “That girl has always been bizarre, so it’s possible that she’s an U.M.A.”  
  
“An Uma?”  
  
“U-M-A. Unidentified Mysterious Animal,” Gokudera explained, showing him a magazine titled, _Crypto Club_. “I once considered submitting Shitt P’s photo to this magazine—before I realized she was just a stalker in need of serious help.”  
  
At the mention of Shitt P, Tsuna thought about the Shimon Family and how they were off on a training and survival excursion in the mountains. Haru got along reasonably well with the Shimons, and if they were the reason for her strange behaviour, then surely she would have made an appearance after they had left. But she hadn’t. At least, he could rule them out as reasons behind Haru’s absence.  
  
“Sometimes the most ordinary-looking creatures are the most mysterious,” Gokudera continued, “and they exhibit—”  
  
“She’s not a creature,” Hana cut him off, “and I think you’ve been reading too many fairy tales.”

Kyoko giggled.  
  
Gokudera glared at Hana. “Shut up! Stupid people like you know nothing about U.M.A.s! You’re—”  
  
“Is this real?” Ryohei exclaimed, his nose buried in one of the magazines that he had, apparently, swiped when Gokudera wasn’t looking.  
  
“What is it?” Yamamoto asked from the floor, straining his neck back to catch a glimpse whatever Ryohei was looking at.  
  
“It has _five eyes!_ ” Ryohei showed Yamamoto the photo.  
  
“Give me that! Who said you could read it?” Gokudera went for the magazine, but Ryohei moved out of his reach.  
  
This was going nowhere fast. Anxious to prevent another argument, Tsuna intercepted quickly: “Wait, guys, stop!” Almost at once, everyone ceased their chatter to look at Tsuna. “Um, we’re all here now, so let’s go to Haru’s.”  
  
They all stood up and made for the front door, talking amongst themselves.  
  
Embarrassed to hold Reborn like a toy in front of him, Tsuna led the way to Haru’s house. Gokudera was by his side, followed by the girls, and then the two athletes at the back. And while he was supposed to be listening to Gokudera, Tsuna couldn’t help overhearing the rest of the group chattering away.  
  
“...and what’s interesting about the chupacabra, Boss, is that it—”  
  
“—has a lot of calories, Hana-chan, but I did an extra work-out—”  
  
“—before I knocked him out! It was extremely awesome—”  
  
“—but I don’t think it matters too much, Kyoko, if you—”  
  
“—watch out for base-stealers before pitching the ball, and then—”  
  
“—it will come for the bait. I couldn’t believe the video footage!”  
  
Haru’s high-pitched, spirited voice was noticeably absent. Tsuna sighed, and realized how much he missed her presence, her silly costumes, and her melodramatic tales. Haru was and always would be an important part of the gang; his friend, no matter what.  
  
“We’re nearly there,” Reborn said, breaking Tsuna out of his thoughts.

“Did that toy just talk?” Hana asked from behind.

Tsuna turned to see her suspicious frown, and forced a chuckle. “Uh, it’s a talking monkey toy! I thought it might cheer Haru up.”

“Ciaossu! Ciaossu!” Reborn chirped mechanically.

“Monkeys don’t sound like that...” Hana said.

“Oooh Oooh, Eeee, Eeee!” Reborn amended, “Oooh Oooh, Eeee, Eeee!”

Hana narrowed her eyes further. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it looks like that baby—”

“Uhhhh, it’s a monkey that you can record voices on!” Tsuna lifted Reborn and pushed his nose in, “See you record here— _oof!!”_ Quicker than lightning, Tsuna found himself on the ground, nursing a sore nose. “Owww, what was that for?!”

Gokudera was at Tsuna’s side in an instant, pulling him up. “Boss, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“Try that again, No-Good Tsuna,” Reborn said from atop Yamamoto’s head, where he had jumped to after punching Tsuna.

“I only touched your nose! You didn’t have to punch me!”

Hana shrieked, dropping her purse and rubbing her arms. “I knew it, it’s that baby! Ugghhh!” She darted back down the street from where they had come from.

“Hana-chan!” Kyoko gave Tsuna an apologetic look. “I’ll go get her.

“She runs extremely fast!” Ryohei remarked, and then turned away and mumbled incoherently.

Gokudera crossed his arms. “More delays – this pisses me off! If she hadn’t freaked out, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“It’s not her fault, it’s Reborn—oh, never mind.” Tsuna shook his head and dusted his pants off, grateful his nose wasn’t broken, at least.

Ten minutes later, Kyoko returned with a calmer Hana, promising that Reborn would stay far away from her. Tsuna was glad that Yamamoto would carry Reborn from thereon; Yamamoto was always better at handling Reborn without too much trouble.

Sighing, Tsuna rubbed his nose, wincing at the dull pain.

“Are you okay, Tsuna-kun?”

Brightening at Kyoko’s voice, Tsuna nodded with a weak smile, as she reached his side. “I’ll be okay.”

Kyoko looked back behind them at Hana, who was arguing with Gokudera over something Tsuna couldn’t make out. “She’s getting better, actually – at dealing with babies and children. Her hives weren’t as bad, and the fact that she agreed to come back while knowing about Reborn-chan is a good sign!”

He could’ve cared less about that, but he smiled. “Oh, that’s good.”

“I’m sorry to have made you all wait for us.”

“No, no, it’s okay! We wouldn’t be able to see Haru without you girls, anyway.”

“Thanks, Tsuna-kun.” Kyoko smiled.

Tsuna thought his heart would burst. _Kyoko-chan!_  
  
Gradually, everyone grew silent, as they reached the front entrance of Haru’s home. Tsuna went first through the gateway, pressing the doorbell. They heard a familiar voice call, “I’ll get it!” and pounding footsteps from within. Tsuna took a deep breath, as she came nearer to the door, and swallowed when she stopped. Was he nervous? He didn’t think there was a reason to be, but somehow, after all the possibilities they had talked about on the way, he felt a tad uncertain about what to expect.

But…she didn’t open the door.

No one said anything.

Tsuna knew she was on the other side; she probably checked the peephole the Miuras had on their front door. Of course, he had no sure proof of that, but it was obvious to him and probably the others, too. And if she wasn’t answering the door, then it was clear that she was avoiding _all_ of them—

_Creak!_

Haru opened the door a crack, allowing them to see a thin fraction of her face, including one wide eye.

“Um, Haru?” Tsuna peered at her with a small smile.

A noise that sounded very much like a whimper was all that he received in return.

“We haven’t seen in you in awhile, so we decided to drop by,” Kyoko intervened to his relief, as she stepped forward beside him, offering a warm smile.

“Oh…” Haru opened the door a little more, showing more of her face. She looked like her normal self with her familiar high school uniform and her hair tied back. There were no outer signs of illness, thankfully. “That’s nice of you,” she added in a soft voice tinged with something else Tsuna couldn’t put his finger on.

An awkward silence crept over the entire group. What now, Tsuna thought, glancing at Kyoko, who seemed to be, like him, at a loss for words. They were expecting Haru to explain everything right then and there, but she was making no attempt.

“Well…thanks for coming, bye!” Haru slammed the door shut.

Staring in disbelief at the door, Tsuna looked at Kyoko, who wore a sad expression as she looked at Tsuna in turn.

“That’s kind of weird,” Yamamoto remarked, as Tsuna turned around to face the rest.

“No kidding,” Hana agreed, raising one eyebrow and crossing her arms.

“That was _extremely_ bizarre,” Ryohei added with a nod.

“Maybe she was sick and didn’t want us to catch her cold,” Kyoko said, but to Tsuna, she sounded doubtful.

“That does it!” Gokudera pushed his way to the front. “I don’t want to have come all the way here for nothing!” Without another word, he began pounding on the door. “Open up, you stupid girl!”

“Gokudera-kun!” Tsuna reached for Gokudera’s arm before he could bang on the door again, worried they might upset Haru’s parents. “Stop! She doesn’t want to see us right now, so let’s just leave…”

“I’m sorry, Boss, but I can’t stand having my time wasted by trivial things like this!”

There was a small _click_ as Haru’s father opened the door, frowning slightly. “Yes, may I help you?”

 _Great_ , Tsuna thought, cringing inwardly, as he stepped forward to take responsibility and bowed several times in apology. “Um, sorry, Miura-san, for disturbing you and your family. We were worried that, uh—that Haru might be sick and—”

“Sick?” the professor echoed, adjusting his glasses. “Haru is in perfect health, I assure you. But I don’t think she had a good day at school today, so perhaps you should wait until tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll be in a much better mood by then.”

Tsuna blinked. “Oh…okay.”

The professor smiled. “Thank you for your concern. Good day.” He shut the door.

The group remained silent, glancing at each other until Yamamoto said, “So…what do we do now?”


	2. Target Two

Sighing, Tsuna joined the others in leaving the Miura property.

“So, we heard from her dad that she’s fine…” Yamamoto began, as they walked along the street in the direction of the Sawada household.

“…but that still doesn’t explain her behaviour in the past week,” Hana finished, “Obviously, she’s okay to her parents.”

“Then the problem might be us,” Kyoko said softly, “but I don’t know what I did wrong…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Kyoko-chan,” Tsuna assured her, thinking about how impossible it was for Sasagawa Kyoko to offend _anyone_. “I’m sure Haru’s just…busy.” He looked at the others for support, but found only skepticism in their faces, except for Gokudera, who was reading from his magazine again.

“That’s what everyone thought about Teresa Margherita Cappelletti,” Reborn spoke up.

“Teres…” Tsuna’s tongue stumbled over the foreign name, which Gokudera graciously repeated for him. “Who’s that?”

“She’s the twin sister of Rita Giovanna Cappelletti.”

As usual, Reborn sprouted seemingly irrelevant facts to force questions out of Tsuna, who preferred ignorance over knowledge in these matters. “And _she_ is?”

“Ah, I know her!” Gokudera exclaimed, looking up from his magazine. “She’s from the Santori Family. Her assassination skills are legendary.”

Reborn nodded. “Indeed. I believe she is ranked at thirty-one, but you’ll have to confirm with Fuuta on those facts.”

“What are they talking about?” Tsuna heard Hana whisper to Kyoko, who excused it as a game. They had all agreed not to involve Hana at all in their alternate lives, as much as possible.

“She must be close to retirement by now. Her twin sister, though…” Gokudera’s face darkened. “She betrayed her own family.”

“Yes,” Reborn said, drawing all eyes on him, as he spoke from Yamamoto’s shoulder. “Teresa wasn’t as skilled as her sister, who received all the glory for her accomplishments, including the admiration of the Santori boss. Seeing all this, a very jealous Teresa rebelled and plotted to frame her sister. She began attending meetings and gathering important information, and slowly withdrew from her peers. She became involved with a member of a rival family, who promised to bring her into that family in exchange for information.”

Despite all logical protests in his brain over whether he ought to be internalizing mafia lore or not, Tsuna found himself deeply interested in the outcome of this story. “So, what happened?”

“During one summer’s eve, such as this one, the rival family, whose name I will not mention because they are beneath me” —Tsuna inwardly rolled his eyes at this while Gokudera vigorously nodded his head in agreement— “attacked the Santori Family while they were on an annual outing that changes locations every year. It is a way to encourage fellowship among members. It is a secretive gathering, and members are only notified five hours before it commences.”

“What if they’re in another country?” asked Yamamoto, appearing genuinely curious.

“They’ll find a way to get there. Nobody misses important family obligations,” Reborn replied. “Prior to the event, Teresa found out ahead of her sister, and passed the information along to her lover, who then relayed the information to his boss. Teresa then notified Rita herself about the gathering, but sent Rita to a different location. Rita believed her, because she loved her sister and couldn’t imagine her betraying the bonds of trust between siblings.”

Tsuna glanced at Gokudera, Kyoko, and Ryohei; he knew the bonds between Kyoko and Ryohei were strong, and he was certain Gokudera held a measure of respect for Bianchi, who had shown her love for her brother many times in the strangest ways. It must be wonderful to have a close sibling, and he wished he had one, too. He wondered if Yamamoto, Haru, and Hana felt the same way as he did.

“Rita went on her way, far north to Balzano, expecting a survival excursion in the Alps. Meanwhile, Teresa and the rest of the Santori Family headed to Catanzaro, where a private beach was being prepared in advance by a branch organization within the Family. There, they were attacked by the rival family; an attack that wiped out nearly half the Santori Family.”

“A terrible tragedy,” remarked Gokudera, and Tsuna noticed that everyone looked sombre as well.

“Fortunately for them, Vongola’s sun guardian at the time was finishing up a mission with her team in the same city. A member of the Santoris managed to escape, and their paths crossed. The Vongolas stepped in and drove the rival family off. But the plan was for Teresa’s lover to openly accuse Teresa in plain sight of the Santori boss, so that the blame would fall on Rita. And it might have worked had Rita not called another Santori assassin about whether she should whip up _B_ _udino di Ricotta_ for the gathering.”

“What’s that?” whispered Tsuna to Gokudera.

“Cheesecake, boss.”

“Oh.”

“A very delicious cheesecake,” Reborn added with a small smile, “Rita is famous for it, as it is the only thing she can bake without burning it. That’s how they knew that Rita was not really Rita, and Teresa broke down, confessing her crime. It was a very sloppy mistake on her part. Nevertheless, she had succeeded far enough. She tried to run away with her lover, but they were soon captured. And so, the lesson to be learnt from this story is that one should always be aware of treachery within the family, hence why family excursions are so important within the Vongola—to strengthen bonds and weed out the traitors.”

Everyone was silent for a few moments before Yamamoto asked, “So, what happened to this Teresa, anyway?”

“The consequences of betrayal are very serious.”

“You mean…she’s _dead_?”

“No, she’s staying at a rest home in Naples.”

Confused, Tsuna broke in, “But you just _said_ ‘serious consequences’…”

“Sure, in the Vongola Family. The Santori Family is a bit soft, mostly due to Rita’s intervention on behalf of her sister since she had no other family at the time. Teresa was imprisoned for many years, and was only released ten years ago. Rita’s at the same rest home, and last I heard, they were organizing chess tournaments.”

“So, she _is_ retired already,” mused Gokudera.

“Yep,” Reborn affirmed, “She retired shortly after the birth of her third grandchild.”

“You mean she continued to assassinate people as a grandmother?” Tsuna gaped, and then thought better than to ask more on that, for he feared learning more about elderly assassins. “I don’t believe this…”

“Age is just a number,” Reborn answered matter-of-factly.

“Amazing!” Ryohei exclaimed, “I hope I’m that active when _I_ get old!”

“That is a _lot_ of detail for a kid’s game...” Hana muttered.

Kyoko chuckled. “You know kids – they have big imaginations.” She threw a knowing glance at Tsuna, who nodded with a grateful smile.

“So, what does this have to do with Haru?” Yamamoto asked, bringing them back their original subject.

Reborn answered, “If you consider Teresa’s Tale, then it’s quite possible that Haru’s connection to the Vongolas has been found out, and someone is using that fact to their advantage.”

“But Haru wouldn’t do something like that!” protested Tsuna.

“That’s what they thought of Teresa.”

“It makes sense!” Gokudera pounded a fist into his open palm. “Either she’s an alien or she’s about to become a traitor! She’s acting _just_ like Teresa.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Tsuna paused and looked at them all, especially at Gokudera. “Maybe we should respect her privacy and leave her for now…”

“Privacy doesn’t matter when it comes to the safety and security of the Family,” Gokudera insisted with a frown, “Tenth, it is absolutely imperative that we find out what she’s hiding from us – for _your life’s sake_.”

Once Gokudera got into these kinds of moods, it was nearly impossible to wrench him out of them, so Tsuna relented. “Maybe we could try asking her tomorrow—”

“Then it’s settled.” Reborn jumped from Yamamoto to the top of a stone wall lining the walkway. “Operation Unveil will go into effect tomorrow. Ready yourselves for the unexpected.”

“Will do, little guy,” Yamamoto said, grinning.

“EXTREME!” Ryohei punched the air.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Tsuna waved his hands in front. “I didn’t say anything about operations!”

Kyoko lifted a finger up. “I know! Hana-chan and I will ask Haru-chan to the movies. There’s a movie I know she’s wanted to see, but hasn’t yet, I don’t think. She might tell us then about what’s bothering her.”

Yamamoto nodded his approval. “Good idea, Sasagawa.”

“Make sure you take notes for any strange behaviour,” Gokudera cut in, “because I still stand by the possibility that she is an U.M.A. I just read an article about a certain kind of alien that isolates itself from other living beings in order to conserve life energy, and when we least expect it, it strikes—”

“Alright, alright, we get it, you weirdo,” Hana interrupted briskly.

Gokudera glared at her. “You’ll be sorry you didn’t heed my warning when you go down first!”

Hana glared right back at him. “How come _I’m_ first?”

“The alien always goes after the doubter first!”

“Don’t worry, Kurokawa, I-I’ll protect you if that happens!” Ryohei chimed in, bright red.

Hana threw him an odd look. “Uh, thanks…”

Tsuna released an exasperated sigh. “Alright, Reborn…I’ll go along with this.”

“Good. A boss must always look out for the safety of his family.”

“I’m _not_ a mafia boss!”

* * *

Much to Kyoko’s surprise and relief, Haru responded favourably to the suggestion ofa movie. After their school activities, homework, and dinner, they met each other at a nearby theatre. Kyoko was the first to arrive, followed by Hana, and then Haru, who seemed to glance around quite often in a nervous manner, like a mouse searching for a cat. “Haru-chan!” Kyoko greeted her, smiling. “I’m so glad you could come.”

“Kyoko-chan!” All signs of possible uneasiness disappeared from Haru’s face, as the two girls briefly embraced. “It has been awhile, hasn’t it?”

“Where have you been keeping yourself lately?” Hana asked with a smile.

Haru clutched the strap of her purse with both hands. “Well, I…I’ve been busy with school and gymnastics and stuff. Tonight was Haru’s only free night!”

Kyoko doubted that, but didn’t press the issue further. For now, Haru needed to enjoy herself with her friends.

The movie was only an hour and a half, and in that time, Kyoko heard Haru giggling and occasionally laughing out loud at the romantic comedy on-screen.

“Thank you so much for inviting me out!” Haru said, grinning at them as they trailed after the crowd exiting the theatre, “I’ve been wanting to see this movie for so long because Ra—I mean, there’s some actors I like in it.”

“It didn’t end the way I thought it would,” Kyoko added, “but I enjoyed it, anyway. Hopefully, there will be a sequel where they get a happy ending.”

“It wasn’t bad,” Hana admitted, “Not too much overacting.” She smirked a little. “The main guy was very good-looking.”

“Wasn’t he?” Kyoko giggled, and turned to Haru, “What did you think?”

Haru’s face was red. “N-Not at all! Tsuna-san is better-looking! Hahi!” she squeaked, as she ran into the doorframe.

“Careful, Haru-chan! Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, I’m fine!” Haru laughed, fanning her face with one hand, “Totally fine!”

“Okay…” Kyoko then nodded. “I agree, though – Tsuna-kun is definitely cuter.” Hana snorted, and Kyoko playfully nudged her with an elbow. “What about you, Hana-chan? Is there a guy in real life you have a crush on?”

Hana’s face took on a dreamy expression. “Well, there was this guy…he dressed funny – like a cow – but he had such a laidback way of expressing himself, it was kind of sexy. I don’t know his name, though.”

Kyoko tried not to cringe, for she had recently learned who Hana’s crush really was and the poor girl would not only be heartbroken but disturbed to know his identity.

“Other than him…there’s nobody, really.” Hana shrugged. “High school boys are still too juvenile for me.”

Before anyone could add anything, they turned the corner to see Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, and Reborn sitting on a bench – right on time as they had planned. Chattering ceased the second they saw the girls.

“Hahi!” squeaked Haru at the sight of the boys, and she immediately shrank back, half-hovering behind Kyoko.

* * *

“Oh! What a _coincidence_ , running into you boys here,” Kyoko exclaimed robotically, clapping her hands together once.

“Y-Yeah, coincidence,” Tsuna laughed nervously. "A really big coincidence!”

“But weren’t we supposed to meet them here?” Yamamoto asked, appearing genuinely confused as he scratched the top of his head.

“ _Quiet_ , you bonehead!” Gokudera snapped.

Tsuna cringed. “No, that was _yesterday_ , remember?”

Yamamoto frowned, apparently deep in thought, and Tsuna could only sigh, knowing that the baseball player had already forgotten the plan and was trying to recall other non-existent plans.

Kyoko turned to Haru with a bright smile. “We invited the boys to join us for ice cream tonight – our treat!”

“But I—ice cream?” Haru’s tone went from worry to curiosity, and for a moment, Tsuna saw the old Haru again; the girl who adored sweets and set aside a day to appreciate the rich and varied textures and tastes of cake.

“Yeah, please come with us!” Tsuna said, pressing his hands together in a silent plea.

The old Haru vanished, replaced with a fake smile. “Uh, no, it—it’s late! Haru should really be going now, ha, ha!” And before anyone could say another word, Haru dashed away.

“Haru-chan...” Kyoko bit her lip, watching her go.

Tsuna’s shoulders fell, defeated. “Well, she’s definitely avoiding us.”

“Mm-hmm,” Ryohei nodded with crossed arms, “It’s extremely obvious.”

“She’s okay with the girls,” Reborn concluded, hopping to his shoulder, “which leaves _you_ lot.”

“I’m not surprised,” Hana said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, “Boys can be rowdy and annoying. She probably got tired of you all.”

“Girls are the _most_ annoying!” Gokudera shot back, resulting in another glaring showdown between the two.

“Stop bothering Kurokawa!” Ryohei burst out, fists clenched as he faced off Gokudera.

“Now, now,” Yamamoto said, chuckling, “Let’s not argue again.”

“Sasagawa will take a turn now, and we will convene Sunday morning at my house to discuss the findings,” Reborn stated.

Tsuna glanced at him. “ _Your_ house? You mean _my_ house.”

“I don’t like to waste time on trivial matters,” said Reborn with an impassive smile.

“It’s _not_ trivial!” Tsuna retorted, even though he knew it was futile to argue with Reborn.


	3. Target Three

The only way to solve the mystery was bold and unabashed confrontation, Ryohei believed, because beating around the bush led to nowhere.

According to Kyoko, Haru had gymnastics practice after school, just like he had boxing practice every day. Chances were that she wouldn’t skip practice (because he couldn’t see how anyone could possibly skip their own sports practices), so he wouldn’t have to, either.

As soon as practice ended, Ryohei dashed out in the late afternoon sun, intent on reaching Haru’s neighbourhood before she even got to it herself. Sprinting to the limit and revelling in the pounding of his footsteps, Ryohei yelled, “EXTREME SPEED!”

Taking note of the fierce battle cry, middle school students, adults, and even pets went out of their way to avoid the incoming, blazing Sasagawa missile. “Crazy kid!” one man yelled, but Ryohei paid him no attention; his mind was focused on one goal and one goal only.

At long last, Ryohei spotted a few walking students wearing the white and black school dress uniforms of Haru’s high school, and he slowed to a complete stop. While his stamina had greatly increased over the last couple of years, he was still breathless and red-faced from the long run, but energized, nonetheless. “I made it!” Proud of his achievement, Ryohei wiped sweat of his brow and began to scan the faces of the passing students, who all gave him strange looks.

And _there_ —behind a couple of heavily make-upped girls was Haru, walking alone and playing with what he guessed to be an mp3 player in her hand, judging by the white cords stringing down from her ears. “Found her!” he declared to himself, and strode right over to her until she bumped into him.

“S-Sasagawa!” Haru gasped, evidently shocked to see Ryohei of all people. “What are you doing here?”

“Tell me!” Ryohei exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders. “What is your secret?? Why are you acting so strangely?? Don’t lie! Tell the truth!”

“Hahi!” Haru stared back at him with wide eyes, clutching her music player to her chest, an earphone hanging down her shoulder. “S-Secret?? What?”

“Hey, Miura, is that your boyfriend?” an unknown girl’s voice sounded from somewhere around him.

“Ooh, sounds like they’re having an argument!”

“Why is he so sweaty, eww…”

“NO!” Haru shouted, pushing him away and running off. “He’s _NOT_ my boyfriend!!”

“Hey! Wait!” Ryohei spun around and chased her, finding her surprisingly fast. He chased her down the rest of the block until she turned a corner, and he found himself skidding to a halt before a familiar tiny boxer in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Coach Pao Pao! I haven’t seen you in an extremely long, long time!” Ryohei glanced ahead and saw Haru’s form slowly disappearing. “She’s getting away!”

“Leave the girl. It’s clear you won’t get any answers from her today.”

“Yes, sir!” Ryohei then scrambled to deliver proper greetings, bowing low and rising with a grin. “Coach Pao Pao, it’s great to see you again!”

Coach Pao Pao nodded. “Likewise. Have you been practicing that advanced technique I showed you last time?”

“Oh, yes! Every day!” Ryohei answered, and demonstrated the move on the spot.

“Very good.”

Ryohei beamed with pride. He’d been practicing diligently, hoping to see Coach Pao Pao again, for the master boxer had never left a contact number or address. Thus, Ryohei had to live week to week, wondering when Coach Pao Pao would show up again. And now that he was here…

Ryohei fell to his knees, hunched over in a bow with the palm of each hand kissing the sidewalk. “Coach Pao Pao, would you please teach me another technique?”

“Well…I suppose I have a bit of time,” answered the coach, a smile in his tone.

* * *

“She ran away before I could get an answer.”

Sitting cross-legged on Tsuna's floor on a the next morning, Ryohei sported two bandaged hands and several bruises all over his face and arms and possibly his torso if judging by the way Ryohei had carefully walked up the stairs and sat himself down was any indication.

The rest of the boys (Kyoko had errands to attend to and Hana was out with her mother) simply stared at the older teenager in silence until Gokudera voiced the question on everyone's mind: "What the hell happened to you?"

"Looks like you had really intense boxing practice," Yamamoto said with a cheerful smile.

Ryohei grinned. "Coach Pao Pao trained me yesterday!"

Tsuna looked at Reborn, whose expression remained neutral, and then shook his head. How no one could figure out that Reborn was the person behind all of these bizarre strangers popping up now and then, he’d never know .They were all the same height, and none of the other arcobaleno appeared as frequently as Reborn did in costume.

"Coach Pao Pao?" Yamamoto's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "Huh. I haven't seen or heard from him in a long time."

"That's exactly what I said!" Ryohei chuckled. "Man, he is one EXTREME boxer!"

"I can't believe he even consented to train _you_ ," Gokudera remarked with disgust. "Feh. You're not worthy of someone so great."

Ryohei held out a fist, wincing as he did. "Shut up, Octopus Head!"

"Say that again!" Gokudera whipped out a handful of dynamite sticks he always managed to mysteriously conceal on his person.

"Octopus Head!"

"That's it—"

 _Not this again_ , Tsuna thought, but before he could intervene, Reborn slapped both boys on the head with a green fan bearing two golden eyes. "Enough. Tsuna," he said, landing lightly on to the carpet, "they're your responsibility. I expect more authoritative conduct of a boss."

"I _was_ going to say something, but you beat me to it!"

"Then be quicker next time, No-Good Tsuna."

Sighing with frustration, Tsuna looked around at everyone. "What now?"

"I think Gokudera is next to investigate," Yamamoto said, nodding towards the storm guardian, "Isn't that what we agreed on?"

"I don't need to be told by you!" Gokudera said, turning his anger towards the other boy while still nursing the sore part of his head.

Yamamoto held up a hand. "Easy now."

"He's right, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said firmly, determined to avoid another all-out fight _and_ show Reborn that he had some shred of leadership in him. Besides, Gokudera would probably listen to no one else. "You need to calm down."

"Okay, Boss," Gokudera said, immediately calm, but his left eyebrow twitched.

Tsuna gave him an appreciative smile.

"Wow, Tsuna," Yamamoto said, breaking the slightly tense silence that had settled over them. "You sounded pretty mature."

"I-I did?" Tsuna felt embarrassed but pleased all the same.

Ryohei agreed. “I’m impressed, Sawada!”

"It was alright for an amateur," Reborn said, ever encouraging.

Tsuna sighed. "Okay, fine. Gokudera-kun? I guess it's your turn now..."

"Right, Boss." Gokudera held up a cap and a pair of large, dark sunglasses that were seemingly produced out of thin air. "I've got my disguise right here."

Tsuna doubted the cap would be able to fully conceal Gokudera's unruly, trademarked hairstyle, but nodded, anyway. "Okay."

"I'm off then!" Gokudera declared, opening and stepping through Tsuna's window, the cap and sunglasses already on. "Gotta get a head start. The sooner we figure out what's wrong with that stupid girl, the sooner you can focus on more important matters."

Tsuna sighed again. "Whatever you say, Gokudera-kun..."

* * *

Even though he had been mildly, mildly, _mildly_ reprimanded by the Tenth in front of people he despised, Gokudera felt relatively happy that the Tenth had exhibited power over his loyal subordinate and right-hand man!

 _I knew he could do it_ , Gokudera thought. All the Tenth needed was a little confidence to get started, and soon enough he would be boldly striding down the path towards becoming the ultimate mafia boss in the past, present, and future. Gokudera was sure of that. For a moment there, Tsuna showing some initiative _had_ taken him aback, but then the surprise had subsided away rather quickly. Beneath the surface of a devoted, seemingly delusional (he knew what others thought of him and his convictions) right-hand man was a friend working to understand the real Tsunayoshi.

Gokudera wanted so much for the Tenth to recognize himself as boss, but there were also times when Gokudera found himself reflecting over Tsuna himself as a person. The mafia issue aside, Tsuna was kind and supportive and endlessly patient with him, Gokudera believed, because of all the times Tsuna had listened to him and depended on him, despite his random outbursts. That was the kind of person Gokudera was more than willing to serve wholeheartedly; he believed in Tsuna’s goodness, even though he found himself unworthy of it.

Whatever happened in the future, whether Tsuna became a boss or not, Gokudera wanted to be at his side, as both a right-hand man and as a friend. And being his friend included, more or less, accepting Tsuna’s other friends and helping out those in need, because that’s what Tsuna would do.

With a baseball cap, sunglasses, and his hair tied back into a ponytail, Gokudera set off to stake out Haru’s house from dawn to night, and would tail her whenever she left. Tsuna would probably disapprove of his skipping school, but where the Family was concerned, Gokudera considered formal education a second priority.

He had been in Haru’s neighbourhood all night until she left for school. Blending among the surrounding students making their way to school had been easy, even though he didn’t wear their uniform. Who would suspect a fellow teenager walking among other teenagers?

The rest of the day that followed had been quite dull and uneventful. Occasionally he saw her outside with friends, but she never left the school grounds. Normal, but terribly boring; he almost wished for some action just to release some muscle tension, but no bad guy goons showed up at all.

Gokudera changed positions throughout the day: sitting on a bench with a newspaper, walking around the school through various streets (he was certain she wouldn’t risk her attendance record by leaving in the middle of the day), and climbing telephone poles to inspect the skies for any suspicious activity. Now and then, he would go to the nearest convenience store for sustenance.

Finally, at the end of the school day and her club activities, Haru appeared at the school gates. She bid farewell to her friends and went in the opposite direction of her house.

“Hmm,” was all Gokudera said, waiting before he followed after her.

Eventually, they were in a store-heavy district filled with people heading home or getting some evening shopping done. Haru had her earphones on and continued to walk alone until she reached a bookstore.

He watched her form disappear into the store, and then, while trying to appear as casual and unconcerned as possible, Gokudera followed suit.

The bookstore wasn’t very large, but still contained three aisles with the cashier at the front. The employee called out a greeting, and Gokudera nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes quickly scanning the front and the center aisle for the Miura girl. She wasn’t in either area. He stepped slowly towards the right, pretending to focus on a display of comic books before cautiously peeking around the corner. _Not here._ That left the other aisle, but that in itself presented a few problems. _If I approach from the front, there’s a chance she might’ve finished looking and will leave. But if I go to the back, she might be turning around the corner and I’d miss her entirely._  Gokudera pressed his lips tightly together in annoyance, narrowing his eyes slightly as he stared at the equally annoyed face of a comic book hero in mid-punch with a villain. _Ah, screw it, just take the front!_

With his mind made up, Gokudera made for the final aisle, but chose to pick up a copy of the newspaper from a stand by the wall. Opening it immediately, Gokudera shielded his face as much as possible and chanced a glance down the aisle.

There she was, deeply absorbed in a strange-looking magazine with – he squinted – a woman wearing a yellow dress and an annoyingly cheerful smile. Scattered across the woman and the rest of the cover were bold, red kanji/letters. “What they don’t want you to know” stood out from all the rest.

 _What’s that idiot girl reading?_ Gokudera wondered, frowning.

From this angle, Gokudera could see Haru's smile forming, and soon it grew into a wide grin. Then, she snapped the magazine shut, crying out, "No!" The magazine was forced back onto the shelf - she seemed upset for some reason - and she turned around. Gokudera hid his face in the newspaper, and listened as she passed by and exited the store.

Determined not to lose her like that idiot boxer had, Gokudera hastily folded the paper back together and left the store to follow after her from a comfortable distance. Low-key and inconspicuous was the way to go with missions like this.

He decided to follow her for a while more to gather more evidence. No abnormal and unnatural behaviour was observed along the way, so he could rule out U.M.A possibilities, which meant the scales tipped in favour of the other possibility: treachery.

Haru was still carrying the torch for Tsuna (subtlety was not her strong point), that much was true, but had her feelings really progressed to the point of desperation and betrayal?

Well, he would find out – he wasn’t the Right-Hand for nothing.

Oblivious to him shadowing her, Haru continued down the street, occasionally peeking in windows at jewelry and toys in the shops they passed by. She lingered long at a bakery, but then proceeded onward. Fortunately, she seldom looked behind her.

Haru crossed the street toward a small park. Careful to avoid being seen with less people around now, Gokudera veered off onto the grass, close to the trees, when she sat down at a bench. He ducked down quickly behind a bush when she glanced around the area. Then, she reached inside her purse for a piece of paper, which she began to unfold.

Through the branches, Gokudera strained his eyes, trying to see if she held a note, letter, a photo or perhaps a map, but she was holding it too low against her lap for him to see clearly. If only he had remembered to ask Giannini for one of his spyglass gizmos.

Then, she folded it shut in one swift motion, turning her head his direction, her eyes closed and brow wrinkled with apparent agony.

“Raiden-san…Haru _can’t_.”

Gokudera’s heart nearly leapt into his throat. _Raiden-san?_ There was no way— _she wouldn’t dare_ , he thought angrily, remembering Teresa’s Tale. Initially, he thought her too spineless to even go that far, but hearing her words now…

Gokudera squeezed his hand into a fist and grit his teeth. _Tenth! The news will hurt, but I promised that I would protect the Family_ —

“Hayato, what are you doing?”

It took every ounce of strength he had to prevent himself from yelling out in shock, and he was certain he could taste blood on his tongue from biting down on it so hard. Gokudera spun around, prepared to drive away his older sister from the scene, but the sight of her bare face made his stomach twist and turn. “A-Aneki!” he gasped, falling to the ground and watching the blue sky turn black.

* * *

The next morning in class, Tsuna, along with the others (minus Ryohei, who was in his own class), listened to Gokudera’s lengthy explanation of his stake-out exploits.

“When I came to, I was on the couch and aneki was trying to feed me some of her _poisoned_ _soup_ ,” Gokudera sputtered, apparently still fuming over the unexpected turn of events. Tsuna didn’t blame him; passing out and waking up to a meal made by Bianchi was enough to either frighten or infuriate anyone.

“That explains the reports of a suspicious stalker in Haru’s neighbourhood,” Reborn said from Tsuna’s shoulder, “It was on the evening news.”

“What, I was spotted?” Gokudera gaped, “But I was in disguise! And I kept my distance!”

Reborn tilted his head. “Not everyone is gifted for espionage.”

“You’d make a terrible spy,” Yamamoto laughed, leaning against the desk in front.

“Shut up!” Gokudera sunk low in his desk, hands jammed in his pockets, lower lip jutting outward. “I’m not cut out for this stupid spy crap. Better to confront people head-on.” Tsuna had a feeling Gokudera’s brand of confrontation involved dynamite in some way.

“So, you said she was reading a letter?” Kyoko asked Gokudera.

“Yeah, that letter is from Raiden, whoever he is—probably an enemy mafioso!”

“Raiden?” Tsuna frowned at the unfamiliar name. “Do we know anyone named Raiden?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“At least, we have a clue to go on, now,” Hana said.

“Indeed,” Reborn agreed, jumping onto Gokudera’s desk with a bag of peanuts Tsuna hadn’t seen before. Hana yelped, but didn’t run away. “Now, then, I believe Yamamoto was next.”

“Alright, my turn at bat.” Yamamoto stretched, as though he was preparing for a game.

Tsuna looked at him. “What are you going to do?”

“Try hypnotizing her,” suggested Gokudera, “If you can do something as simple as that.”

“I’m not going to do anything weird,” Yamamoto said, shaking his head, “I’m going to invite her over to our restaurant for a meal. That’s nicer and more easy-going, don’t you think? I’ll bring Lambo and I-Pin, too.”

Tsuna smiled, glad that he could always count on Yamamoto to balance out the craziness in his circle of friends with some sensibility, although Yamamoto could be ridiculous at times, too. “That’s a good idea.”

“Kind of sounds like a date,” Hana said, one eyebrow curved with implications.

Yamamoto just laughed.

“Good luck, Yamamoto-kun!” Kyoko said.

Yamamoto grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. “Just leave it to me!”


	4. Target Four

Friday evening arrived, and with it came a steady flow of hungry customers along with Haru, hesitantly walking through the entranceway, clutching the strap of her bag. She still wore her school uniform.

Yamamoto put down the towel he’d been using to wipe a table. “Welcome!”

“H-Hi there,” Haru greeted him with a smile, brushing a strand of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear. “Thank you for inviting me! I was really surprised when you called.”

“Haru-neesan!” Lambo and I-Pin ran out from the kitchen and bounced over to Haru, nearly knocking her down. “We’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you, too!” Haru hugged each one of them in turn. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you two!”

“Lambo-san is going to school now!” Lambo proclaimed, hands on his hips.

I-Pin added, “Me, too!”

“School? Like at a school? No more home school?” Haru gasped.

“Yeah!” the two chimed together.

“Haru is so proud! You’ll make tons of friends and be able to participate in school festivals!” She hugged them again, and Yamamoto continued to watch them with a smile, as the two kids started to share about their school activities.

“Let’s sit down first!” Haru looked at Yamamoto expectantly. “Where are we…?”

“Oh, we can eat in the back. I’ve got a table set up. It’s too noisy and busy out here,” Yamamoto said, nodding his head toward the many customers chattering away and dining at their tables.

They followed him into the back, greeted his father, and then sat down at a folding table where food was already waiting. Happily, the kids dug in immediately, and after thanking him for the food, Haru followed suit, looking every bit as excited as Lambo and I-Pin were to be having a free, home-cooked meal of various kinds of sushi, vegetables, soup, and more.

Yamamoto took his time eating, choosing to listen to the conversations between the other three. Haru almost hadn’t agreed to come until he had mentioned the children and the free food. If she had figured out that everyone was trying to get her to reveal her secrets to them, she didn’t show it, and often grinned at Yamamoto, asking him about his life instead of sharing about her own life.

After the meal was finished, Lambo and I-Pin declared that they were going to the nearest playground, which was at Namimori Elementary. Not wanting to leave the children unsupervised, Yamamoto and Haru tagged along and continued their conversation, this time Haru sharing about her gymnastics club and upcoming events.

“…and so now I’m qualified for the finals!” Haru clapped her hands together a few times. “I’m so excited! I’ve been practicing a lot for it.”

“That’s awesome! You’ll have to tell me when and where that is. Maybe I’ll come watch.”

Haru blushed and looked down at the sidewalk. “Y-Yeah, I’ll let you know! And thanks, Yamamoto-kun.”

They reached the playground and sat on a bench while the kids rushed toward the jungle gym with shouts and laughter. Relaxing into a comfortable silence, Yamamoto observed the two eight-year-olds.

It was amazing how much they’d grown in a few short years. Lambo was a few inches taller than I-Pin and no longer wore a cow suit, though his casual style of dress still maintained the famous black and white print. I-Pin wore a purple Chinese outfit instead and her hair was growing longer –in the back and front. Both were still silly and immature most of the time, but they had also grown stronger and more reliable. Yamamoto felt proud, even though he didn’t like they had an inevitable future in the mafia.

“I feel like I haven’t seen them in forever,” Haru murmured, also watching them.

“We haven’t seen _you_ in forever,” Yamamoto said, eyeing her for a reaction.

Haru nodded. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been…busy.”

The same answer she had given to everyone. “Haru…I don’t mean to pry, but is there something wrong? You’ve been acting strange lately and it’s worrying everyone.”

She flinched, his words seeming to drive a knife into her. “I-I know…believe me, I want everything to go back to normal, but I don’t think it can.”

“Is anyone harassing you? Threatening you?”

“Oh, no! No, not at all, thankfully.”

“Ah, that’s good, then. If there was, I’d have to rough him up a little.”

Haru peered at him curiously. “You would?”

“Yeah, not just me – all of us would.” Yamamoto smiled. “You’re important to us, Haru. We’ll always have your back. You know that, right?”

Her eyes watered, but she smiled. “Thank you, Yamamoto-kun. I’m so glad I met all of you.” She sniffled and dug around in her bag, producing a pack of tissues. “I feel so bad for worrying you guys!” She blew her nose. “I tried to tell Kyoko-chan and Hana-chan at the movies, but I lost my nerve.” She wiped at her eyes. “It’s a feeling I’ve been struggling with, but I think I’m ready to confess.”

“Confess?”

“Yes— _hahi!_ ” She reddened. “Not confess, um…I want to tell Tsuna-san and everyone what I’ve been dealing with.”

Yamamoto suddenly felt guilty. “Look, I’m sorry if we pressured you too much. You don’t have to tell us” – Gokudera would be angry at this for sure – “but if you want to, then take your time. We’ll wait. We’re only worried about you and want to help, that’s all.”

“I know, and I’m happy to know that,” Haru replied with a smile. “I have really great friends!”

“The best!” Yamamoto stretched his arms and leaned back against the bench, tilting his head toward the sky and yawning. Talking to Haru like this again felt great. Tsuna and the others were worrying for nothing.

“How about you? How’s baseball going?”

“It’s going great!” Unable to help himself, Yamamoto started rambling on about the baseball club activities, the upcoming championship preliminaries, and how he was a regular and the ace of the team already. “At least, that’s what they call me,” Yamamoto explained sheepishly, not wanting to sound like he was bragging, “It doesn’t matter to me either way. I love playing baseball and that’s what’s important.”

“Do you think you’ll go professional?”

“Hmm…that would be cool!” Truthfully, Yamamoto hadn’t given too much thought to this career possibility because he was always busy with Vongola matters and Gokudera drilling into his head _duty_ and _allegiance_. The latter was starting to annoy him; Yamamoto wasn’t keen on having his whole life planned out for him already without an element of baseball in it.

“You’d be amazing!” Haru said, grinning, “Haru would even go to the games to cheer you on!” She imitated a cheerleader, lifting her hands up in alternate formations, as though she were holding pom-poms.

She was cute when enthusiastic, Yamamoto thought. “Haha, you would?”

“Of course! Yamamoto-kun is my friend!”

Their conversation lapsed into semi-awkward silence after that, as they continued to watch Lambo and I-Pin play. Yamamoto found himself wondering once more what Haru intended to tell Tsuna and the rest of them.

“Yamamoto-kun,” Haru began, looking down at her skirt and fiddling with the ends of it, “I have a favour I’d like to ask…”

Yamamoto looked at her curiously. “Sure, what is it?”

* * *

“And then she asked me to pose in my training outfit for her camera.”

Yamamoto’s statement was met with silence, as everyone stared at him, all gathered in Tsuna’s bedroom late Saturday afternoon after their respective plans for that day.

“What the hell?” Gokudera muttered, looking disgusted for some reason.

If Haru was weird before, she was definitely weirder now. Tsuna shook his head. “Why did she want to do that?”

Yamamoto shrugged. “She’s into cosplay, so maybe it was something for that?”

“And you indulged her?” Gokudera asked, shooting him a frown.

“Well, it was harmless and kind of fun, haha!” Yamamoto admitted, scratching the back of his head.

“Idiot,” was all Gokudera replied with.

“But why wouldn’t _she_ cosplay then—oh, never mind,” Tsuna sighed, closing his eyes and squeezing the bridge of his nose, “This keeps getting stranger and stranger. Did she mention that Raiden character?”

“No, but maybe he’s her boyfriend?” suggested Yamamoto, “She said nobody was bothering her, so it could be.” 

“I say we go to her house again and demand the truth!” Ryohei declared, pounding the rug with a fist. “No more games!”

Yamamoto shook his head. “That won’t work. Besides, she said she would tell us soon enough. We’ll just have to wait until she’s ready.”

“But the Family could be in mortal danger!” Gokudera grit his teeth. “We still don’t know who this Raiden is and what business he has with one of our own!”

Reborn hopped to Gokudera’s knee. “I’m surprised to hear you acknowledge Haru as one of us.”

Crossing his arms, Gokudera tilted his chin upward. “I didn’t want to, but she’s been through a lot with us and knows everything, so I have no choice but to acknowledge her as a Vongola ally…until she betrayed us!”

“Stop talking about betrayal!” Tsuna said, “I’m sure it has nothing to do with the mafia whatsoever. You’re getting too carried away!”

“Don’t be so sure,” came Bianchi’s deep voice. The older woman stood in the doorway, dressed in her usual casual clothes but without any eye gear.

“A-Aneki!” Gokudera clutched at his stomach and gagged. Ryohei slapped his back a couple of times, telling him to fight the nausea like a boxer.

Bianchi’s piercing gaze settled on Tsuna with a grave expression. “I would be careful, young Vongola. Now that your influence is growing, I wouldn’t put it past anyone in the underworld to try and strike your closest allies.”

“She’s right,” said Reborn, “Clearly, she has no problems with Kyoko and Hana, but goes out of her way to avoid you guys, especially Tsuna. That’s why I had Bianchi bring her cell phone. Tsuna, I want you to call Haru right now and try to talk to her.”

“What? _Now_?” Tsuna wasn’t ready at all for such a heavy phone call with a girl driving his mind in circles.

“Yes, _now_ , before it’s too late.”

Tsuna didn’t like those foreboding words, and the others seemed in agreement, nodding their encouragement.

“A boss is responsible for the well-being of all his Family members,” Reborn added solemnly.

Sighing, Tsuna took the cell phone and searched for Haru’s name in Bianchi’s contacts. Her photo popped up, grinning widely in some cookie costume it looked like. Tsuna had to admit – he missed that smile and silliness of hers. “I’m not doing this as a boss,” Tsuna told Reborn when he tapped on her number and brought the phone to his ear, “I’m doing this as a friend.”

The line rang a few times before picking up.

“Bianchi-san!” came Haru’s voice without a greeting, “I thought about what you said, and I think telling Tsuna-san about Raiden-san will—”

“Uh, Haru? It’s me…” The mention of this Raiden was not lost on him.

“Hahi!” Silence, then, she said, “I thought you were Bianchi-san.”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m borrowing her phone.” Tsuna paused, unsure of how to proceed. It’d been too long since he’d heard her voice. “Haru, I wanted to ask…is something wrong? It feels like you’re avoiding us for some reason…”

“…I-I don’t mean to…I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Whatever it is, I won’t shun you or anything like that,” Tsuna said, aware of the thick silence behind him, everyone likely waiting with bated breath, “I’m here if you want to talk, Haru. I’m really worried about you.” That was no lie; the longer she avoided them, the more concerned he grew. Not having her around anymore left a big gap in their circle of friends, and he genuinely wanted to help her out with whatever was troubling her, if he could. “And…well, I miss you. We all do,” he quickly added, not wanting to give her the wrong idea about _that_.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Haru didn’t say a word for a few seconds before replying, “I want to tell you, but…”

An unknown male voice in the background suddenly burst out, as if he was singing, and though the words were muffled, Tsuna could make out “ _don’t tell anyone or I’ll have to_ ”—

“Sorry, Tsuna-san, I have to go!”

“Wait, Haru— _wait!”_

Too late; the phone went dead.

Tsuna released an exasperated sigh and handed the phone back to Bianchi. “This isn’t funny anymore. There’s something seriously wrong. She mentioned this Raiden again and then I heard some guy saying ‘don’t tell anyone or I’ll have to—’ and then she hung up!” Tsuna looked at them worriedly. “I think she’s being threatened!”

In between waves of visible illness, Gokudera croaked, “See, I told you! What have I been saying since the beginning?”

“We have to save her!” Ryohei stood to his feet and jammed a fist into his palm. “I’m ready to beat the extreme crap out of this Raiden guy!”

Yamamoto reached for his baseball bat, clearly in silent agreement with Ryohei.

Gokudera whipped out a bundle of dynamite and unsteadily jumped to his feet, making a point not to look at his sister. “Let’s go confront him right now!”

Tsuna nearly told them to stop, that instant violence wouldn’t help, but he kept thinking of the voice and the way Haru had ended the call. It wouldn’t hurt to go check things out. He climbed to his feet and reached for his X-gloves— _just_ in case. “Alright…let’s go—”

A gun shot rang out and confetti rained down from the ceiling. Reborn blew the top of his Leon gun barrel and addressed everyone: “Calm down. We are going to watch some films to relax your nerves. Bianchi, please get the DVDs from my room.”

“How can we watch movies at a time like this?” Tsuna cried. “Haru could be in danger! And it’s _my_ room, not yours!”

“Not to worry.” Reborn hopped atop the television set and smiled. “I shall prepare our last resort…” He took Bianchi’s phone and started to tap out a number, and then walked out of the room, holding the phone to his ear.

“Who are you calling?” Tsuna asked.

“A bona fide hitman who will get the job done.”

“ _WHAT?!?_ ”

* * *

The task was to be quick and painless - that's what that baby had promised and that’s what Hibari was expecting. Evening patrols kept him otherwise occupied, so this was a huge favour he was about to do for Reborn. Fortunately, Reborn promised a straight-out fight with him in the future, although the baby had suspiciously neglected to give a specific time. Nevertheless, Hibari knew that Reborn could be trusted to carry out promises and threats; he had seen Reborn promise to beat Sawada Tsunayoshi if he didn't do what he was supposed to do, and Reborn had always been consistent with those words. It was rather amusing to watch Tsuna get a beatdown from the baby.

But for Reborn to call on him to confront the Miura girl must mean that it was a difficult task, considering the other boys couldn't get the truth out of her.

Hibari continued walking down the streets, pleased with the cool breeze; it had been a fairly warm day, and he didn't care much for warm, windless days.

Rounding a corner, Hibari spotted his target up ahead, walking by herself at a rather slow pace, perhaps suggesting dejection or illness. Hibari had seen plenty of people in the past walk like that and turn out to be depressed or ill upon confrontation (although they always seemed to recover quickly from whatever it was they were feeling when they encountered him). Going at his usual pace, Hibari soundlessly overtook in her in no time, causing her to yelp in shock when he stepped in front of her.

"Hibari-san!" she squeaked.

"Miura Haru," Hibari addressed her, monotonously, towering over her, arms hanging at his sides.

"Y-Y-Yes, Hibari-san?" She clutched her purse nervously in front of her, eyes wide as an owl’s.

Hibari narrowed his eyes a fraction, earning the same reaction from her that he had received countless times in the past: increased trembling in absolute fear. "Let me make this clear: I have no interest in your herbivore troubles. I am only doing this as a favour to that baby – either you tell Sawada Tsunayoshi your problems or I will bite you to death."

"Eeeek!" Haru jumped away from him, nodding her head vigorously. "Okay, okay, okay! I will, I will, Haru will tell him immediately! Don't kill me, AAAHHHHH!!" And with that final scream, Haru took off down the street.

Hibari turned and watched her go with a faint scowl. _Too easy,_ he thought _,_ feeling disappointed and annoyed. He couldn’t understand why those useless herbivores were having so much trouble with one of their own kind.

* * *

“I ran into Yamamoto-kun earlier today, and he told me he talked with Haru-chan,” Kyoko said to Hana, as they walked in the direction of Tsuna’s home, “He said that she’ll tell us her secret when she’s ready to.”

“So, don’t worry too much about it,” Hana said, patting Kyoko’s shoulder. “Sometimes people need to be alone for a bit, to figure things out, before they go to others.”

Kyoko sighed, and looked at the road. “I know…I know.” Then, shaking her head, she added, “But Haru-chan…tends to keep things to herself more often than not. I can usually tell when she’s lying – I mean, when she’s not being so obvious like lately. She doesn’t like to worry others, so she pretends that everything is all right.”

“Kind of like you, huh?” Hana remarked with a knowing smile. “You do the same thing.”

Kyoko looked at her in surprise, and opened her mouth to speak, but only silence came out. Looking away, she no longer saw the sidewalk in front of her, but instead saw the walls of the underground base, and the moving, soundless mouth of Tsuna telling her something she knew by heart and didn’t need sound for; saw her brother returning late at night with a bruise on his grinning face and zero explanations for it.

“You know, Hana-chan…you do it, too.” Kyoko was aware of Hana worrying for Ryohei on occasion. Those concerned frowns she tried to mask with sarcastic remarks were noticeable, at least to Kyoko.

“Are we playing the blame game now?” Hana asked, arching an eyebrow.

Kyoko laughed lightly. “No…no, we aren’t. But I think…that the three of us are more alike than we think we are. We don’t say anything, because it’s easier for them.” And she knew that she didn’t have to clarify the identity of _them_ to Hana, who said nothing in return.

Glancing ahead, Kyoko could see a familiar playground and a familiar person sitting on one of the swings. “Haru-chan!” exclaimed Kyoko, and she broke into a jog; Hana was right behind her. “Haru-chan!” Kyoko called again.

Haru’s head snapped up from her staring session with the ground, and she stood up from the swing seat.

“Don’t run away!” Kyoko cried, dashing onto the playground. “Please, we only want to talk!”

Thankfully, Haru made no further attempt to escape, and allowed the two girls to reach her side.

Kyoko brushed a stand of hair out of her eye and addressed Haru with a serious but gentle tone, “Haru-chan…I’m sure by now you know how very worried we are. Is everything okay?”

Haru stared at Kyoko, her lip quivering. “K-Kyoko-chan!” she whimpered, bursting into tears and turning away from them, covering her face.

“Haru-chan!” Kyoko touched Haru’s shaking shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s alright,” Hana added, flanking the distraught girl’s other side, “You can tell us. We won’t judge you.”

“Oh, Kyoko-chan, Hana-chan!” Haru cried, turning to face them with a look of utter despair. Her eyes seemed to water slightly, as she confessed in a hoarse voice: “I’ve betrayed Tsuna-san!”


	5. Target Five

Confined to the house to wait and watch movies while Reborn sent out an unknown ally of theirs to scout out Haru’s home for any signs of trouble, Tsuna tried to calm his nerves by feigning interest in mafia entertainment.

“This first one is a personal favorite,” Reborn was saying, as Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei took turns reading each synopsis of the films Reborn was insisting that they watch. “ _Hitman VII._ Much better than the first six.”

“The first _six?_ ” Tsuna echoed, raising an eyebrow. “How can the seventh be better than the first six?”

“Better actors,” Reborn replied. “The original actors didn't do the mafia justice, so they were killed off.”

“...And by that you mean their _characters_ were killed off, right?”

“No.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“I had heard about that,” Bianchi said, nodding with a thoughtful frown on her face. She had come to watch with them, though Tsuna suspected she was mostly here to cuddle Reborn in her arms than watch a film. At least, she wore purple-tinted glasses for Gokudera’s sake. “They were such _terrible_ actors.”

Tsuna shook his head, muttering, “I don’t believe this...”

 _“_ We will watch _The Godmother, Sleepless in Sicily_ , and _Omerta_ immediately after.”

“Why do we have watch them all at once? Or at all?” Tsuna demanded, letting Gokudera take the last DVD out of his hands.

“In the past, students of mine have learned much from watching mafia films,” Reborn answered.

“I’ve seen _Omerta_ , and I wholeheartedly agree with its principles. It’s by far one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Gokudera said, surprising Tsuna with the conviction in his tone. “Tenth, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.”

“Don’t spoil the ending. It’s a real heart-stopper,” Reborn said.      

“I hope you don’t mean that literally,” Tsuna had to remark.

Reborn only smiled in response.

“ _Sleepless in Sicily_ sounds like a cheesy movie,” Yamamoto said, handing the DVD to Reborn with a skeptical look.

“It’s a _beautiful_ love story,” Bianchi said, hugging Reborn close to her. “It taught me so much about love itself.”

“Indeed, you lot will learn much about how to romance your future spouses,” Reborn added.

“HAHAHAHAHA!!” Everyone turned to stare at Ryohei, who had turned an interesting shade of purple-red.

“Tch. Stupid Lawn Head,” Gokudera said.

Ryohei quickly recovered, and glared at the storm guardian. “What was that, _Octopus_ Head??”

Gokudera’s eyes flashed with anger, as he reached behind his waist, “Why, you—!”

“Calm down, you two!” Tsuna exclaimed, “And what did I say about dynamite in the house, Gokudera-kun??”

“The popcorn is ready!” Fuuta declared, entering the living room with a large bowl of fresh popcorn.

“Where are the children?” Bianchi asked Fuuta, taking the bowl from him and placing in front of Reborn.

Fuuta grinned. “I distracted them with candy and a cartoon movie in Tsuna’s room.”

Tsuna reached for some popcorn only to have Reborn slap his hand away. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Eating will only distract you from watching. This popcorn is for me.”

“Are you serious?”

“I'm always serious."

“Don’t worry, Tsuna-nii, I’m going to make some more for the rest of us,” Fuuta said with his customary calm smile.

Tsuna smiled back. “Thanks, Fuuta-kun.”

A sombre piano melody signalled the beginning of _Hitman VII_ began to play, as the opening credits formed against a backdrop reminiscent of black and white films. A deep, gravelly voice spoke, and Japanese subtitles appeared at the bottom of the screen.

As expected, the film was full of violence and dark deeds within the mafia underworld. Yamamoto and Ryohei made random comments now and then. Tsuna thought the actors were pouring it on thick with their acting, but Gokudera seemed deeply entranced by the film, and Tsuna was certain Gokudera’s eyes were glistening with tears…

“The next part is important,” Reborn said, “Pay close attention.”

Tsuna gasped at the new character that popped up on-screen. “What the—Reborn, is that _you?_ ”

“Yes. It was a brief cameo that I did as a favour to the director, who is a close and personal friend of mine."

On-screen, dressed similarly to Reborn, the character - also equal in facial features and height - took out a handgun and aimed at the main character: " _Nobody sells guns and bonbons on_ my _turf."_

" _Rinato_ ," the dark-haired protagonist responded, " _It's been a long time, hasn't it?_ "

The two characters continued their conversation until a third character entered the scene, exchanged some frantic words, and "Rinato" disappeared into the shadows.

"I won an award for my performance.”

Tsuna gaped at Reborn. “For _that_ little scene?”

“ _Amazing_ , Reborn-san!” Gokudera exclaimed, taking a handkerchief Tsuna didn’t know he had out of his back pocket to wipe away his tears.

“Quality over quantity, No-Good Tsuna.”

Tsuna rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen.

Right before the two main protagonists were about to engage in a shoot-out, the phone rang, startling the boys briefly.

“If _that_ scares you, then you will all utterly fail in the real underworld,” Reborn remarked, sounding disappointed.

Ignoring him, Tsuna paused the film and then rushed to pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Tsuna-kun!” came Kyoko’s worried voice. “We’re at the park near your house with Haru-chan. She’s ready to talk to us.”

“What, she is?” Tsuna covered the mouthpiece and turned to everyone. “Haru wants to talk to us!”

Ryohei punched the air. “Yes!”

Yamamoto smiled. “Finally.”

“Feh, it’s about time,” was all Gokudera offered.

“I knew our cloud guardian would get the job done,” Reborn said with a satisfied smile.

“Whaaat?” Tsuna’s jaw dropped. “You sent Hibari after Haru? Reborn, how could you?!”

“I don’t like his attitude, but I have to admit – he _is_ reliable,” Gokudera added with a firm nod.

“Tsuna-kun?”

Tsuna turned back to the phone. “Sorry, Kyoko-chan! We’ll be right there!”

* * *

Leaving the children and Bianchi home, Tsuna and the others raced for the park, eager to hear at long last what secrets Haru was keeping from them. The fact that she was free to speak to them now meant that Hibari must’ve made quick work of the Raiden guy. Tsuna reminded himself to thank the older boy later— _if_ he had enough courage by then.

When they arrived, Haru was standing between Kyoko and Hana, looking down at the ground. “Haru!” Tsuna called out, relieved to see her unharmed.

Haru looked up and burst into tears. “Waaahhhh!”

“Haru-chan!” Kyoko moved to put her hands on Haru’s shoulders, “What’s wrong?”

“Haru has done something so horrible that I can’t even speak of it without feeling such s-shame!” Haru blubbered.

Tsuna ran to them and stopped in front of Haru, panting as he caught his breath. “Haru…just tell me.”

“Haru has betrayed you, Tsuna-san!” Haru sobbed, sinking to her knees and covering her faces, her shoulders trembling, her body jumping slightly with every hiccup. “Hahi! I am so, so, so, so _sorry! Waaahhhh!_ ”

There was a brief pause of silence amidst her sobs.

Gokudera was the first to break it, pointing an accusatory finger at the stricken girl. “See, see?! I knew it! I knew it all along! She’s a traitor to the Tenth!”

“W-What?” Tsuna stared at Gokudera. “What are you talking about? She’s _not_ a Vongola!” No way was he going to further involve her and Kyoko – even Hana – in this mafia business.

“Not yet she isn’t,” Reborn said from Yamamoto’s shoulder, and Tsuna saw that the hitman conveniently shield his face, save for a smirk, from view.

“Reborn!” Tsuna yelled, although it seemed more out of habit – yelling at Reborn had become rather commonplace in his life for the past few years.

Gokudera growled, “Damn woman-”

“Shut up!” Hana snapped, “She’s talking!”

“I-I thought I could manage it,” Haru was saying, her hands clutching the ends of her skirt, staring hard at the sidewalk. “Haru thought she would get over it...b-but I didn’t!” She covered her face again, crying and spouting gibberish.

Tsuna frowned. “What?”

“She said, ‘It’s all because of an unexpected new guy,’” Reborn translated.

“There’s a guy?” Hana asked.

“Y-Yes!”

Tsuna suddenly grew serious at the mention of “guy,” and noticed that the faces of Yamamoto, Ryohei, and even Gokudera’s became grave, as well. Without a doubt, if anyone, especially a strange guy, dared to hurt any of the girls, the boys would investigate and set the aggressor – apparently named _Raiden_ – straight. Even Bianchi and I-Pin would be on the aggressor's case. No one messed around with the Vongola—

 _What the heck am I saying? They’re not Vongola,_ Tsuna reminded himself before returning his attention to the still sobbing girl in front of him. “Haru…take a deep breath and tell us what’s going on. We want to help you.”

“I...I... _I!_ ”

Everyone seemed to lean forward, anxious for the answer. Tsuna became aware of the fact that he was holding his breath and let it out, trying to remain calm and rational.

“I can’t say it! It’s better if Haru shows you!” With that, Haru pulled her purse around to the front, dug inside, and pulled out a folded piece of paper, and thrust it high in the air with both hands before ducking her head.

This time, there was a longer period of silence before Kyoko started giggling. Hana wore a cross between a smile and a smirk. Everyone else, however, stared in confusion at a glossy, wrinkled image of a spiky-haired young man resembling Yamamoto with a gaze that reminded Tsuna of Hibari.

“Oh, _that_ Raiden,” Hana said.

“What is that, a wanted poster?” Gokudera stepped forward. “Cut the crap out – where’s the guy who was threatening you?”

“Threatening me?” Haru shook her head, eyes wide in confusion, “There’s nobody threatening me!”

“What? But I heard a voice on the phone!” Tsuna said, incredulous, “I heard him tell you to keep it a secret or else!”

“Those are song lyrics!” Haru cleared her throat and then, in an off-key, shaking voice, sang, “‘ _Don’t tell anyone or I’ll have to k-k-kiss you, our love is a secret so true_ …’"

More silence.

Kyoko giggled. “I love Secret Wish, too! Now I know why you wanted to see that movie, because Raiden-san is in it!”

“Who is Secret Wish?” Gokudera demanded.

“It’s a boy band,” Ryohei answered for the girls, looking decidedly uninterested now that the issue with Haru didn’t involve an element of danger. “My sister plays their music at home. Ahhh, I was extremely pumped up to take out an enemy assassin!”

“It’s better that it isn’t!” Tsuna reminded him.

“I happen to have a magazine with them on the cover,” Kyoko said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a magazine different from the one in Haru’s hands. “I haven’t read their interview yet, though. I just bought it today.”

“Let me see that!” Gokudera demanded, grabbing it from Kyoko’s hands. Immediately, he began to flip through the pages. “Ah ha! I found it!” he declared, then took out his glasses and began to read – and for what reason, Tsuna did not know, but figured he would eventually find out whether he wanted to or not.

“Haru is so ashamed of herself!” Haru wailed, putting the magazine picture back into her purse. “I can’t stop listening to them! They sing so well! They have cool dances! They’re all so handsome!”

“They _are_ good, I admit,” Hana said, crossing her arms, “but their lyrics are so corny.”

“So Raiden-san is your most favourite?” Kyoko asked, offering a hand to Haru.

Haru sniffed, ducking her head again, as she took Kyoko’s hand and got to her feet. “Yes, R-Raiden-san,” she whimpered, wiping at her eyes and then unzipping her purse again. “Haru carries this around everywhere. It’s wrinkled, but it will do until I buy the poster.” Haru pulled out a folded magazine picture, and showed Kyoko, who took it and carefully unfolded it.

“Oh! I saw this. Raiden-san really looks like a samurai here.” Kyoko handed the picture back to Haru.

“So that’s why you asked to take photos of Yamamoto in his training outfit?” Tsuna asked.

Haru turned redder than the reddest shade of red and glanced at Yamamoto quickly. “Hahi! You told them?”

Yamamoto shrugged. “They wanted to know. Why, was it supposed to be a secret?” He laughed.

“N-No,” Haru stammered, “Anyway, Kyoko-chan, who’s your favourite member?

“My favourite is Yuudai. I think he’s a really good leader, and he looks like Tsuna-kun!”

Tsuna could barely comprehend this entire exchange, but perked up at the mention of his name. “Eh? What?”

“Haru noticed that, too!” Haru exclaimed, seeming to have forgotten all about her tears, as she clutched the picture to her chest. “Haru loved Yuudai-san first, but when I saw and heard more of Raiden-san...” She broke into a sigh, shaking her head, staring at nothing in particular. “It all happened so suddenly! Haru’s heart was won over completely! From now on, I shall always love Raiden-san first – uh, I mean, after Tsuna-san, of course!” she stammered, blushing and looking distressed again. “Oh, forgive Haru, Tsuna-san! It’s only a crush! It’ll go away soon, I promise! Everyone gets crushes, Bianchi-san says!”

Tsuna could only stare in disbelief. “I don’t understand you at all,” he muttered. He didn’t care about pop boy bands, although he was already thinking to look them up in order to measure himself up against Yuudai, Kyoko’s favourite.

“I’m surprised Hajime isn’t your favourite,” Hana said to Haru, “because girls really love how cute and hyper he is. He’s certainly not _my_ type, that’s for sure. I don’t go for crazy guys.”

Ryohei suddenly erupted into a coughing fit, which brightly reddened his face.

“Onii-chan!” Kyoko rushed over to her brother and touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Ryohei turned away from her, sputtering, “I’M EXTREMELY FINE!” before covering his mouth, his coughs beginning to lessen.

“I adore him, too!” Haru answered Hana, “But Raiden-san…I _love_ him!”

“Tenth!” Gokudera exclaimed, coming over to wave the magazine around in front of Tsuna’s face. “I am convinced that these three are a part of a scheme to brainwash all young people to their cause. They sound suspiciously like mafiosi. Listen to this!” He read aloud: “ _‘When asked what their future hopes for the band are, leader Yuudai replied, “We hope to be well-known all over the world. We have begun thinking about our second album, and are hoping to expand overseas someday—”’_ Right there!” Gokudera slapped the page and snapped the magazine shut. “I bet they’re using music as a cover. Humph. They can’t fool _me_.”

“Ah, Gokudera-kun, may I have the magazine back, please?” Kyoko asked.

Gokudera handed it back to her, narrowing his eyes. “I suggest you be careful, especially since the Tenth considers you—”

“HAHAHA Gokudera-kun! _”_ Tsuna shouted, waving his arms with a panicked smile. “It’s just a band! It’s nothing to worry about! Haha!”

“Hahi! Really?” Haru gasped, zeroing in on him. “So...Haru doesn’t need to worry? Tsuna-san’s forgiven Haru?”

“Er, that’s not exactly what I meant, because there’s nothing to forgive or worry about here—”

“Oh, thank you, Tsuna-san!” A grateful Haru threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Tsuna yelped in surprise, and threw a glance at Kyoko, hoping she wouldn’t get the wrong idea, but she looked neither sad nor angry. In fact, the grin on her face was about the happiest he had seen from her in the past several days.

“A boss shouldn’t be so forgiving, but since it’s Haru, I’ll make an exception,” Reborn remarked, now standing on top of the wall of a yard bordering the playground.

Ignoring him, Tsuna awkwardly patted Haru on the back before she released him and bounced over to Kyoko and Hana, and without giving the boys a second glance, the girls proceeded to discuss the members of Secret Wish in great detail.

“Well…” Yamamoto came up beside Tsuna, smiling. “I guess that’s that.”

Tsuna nodded. “I guess we were worried for nothing.”

“Stupid girl wasted our time!” Gokudera crossed his arms. “But still, I don’t like the sound of those men. Secret Wish, tch. Why is their wish a secret, anyway?”

“We shall resume _Hitman VII_ at a later date,” Reborn declared, “You’re all dismissed.”

“Then I’m going to get some extreme training in before dinner!” Ryohei announced, jogging on the spot. “Maybe I’ll run into Coach Pao Pao again!”

“I’m going to go swing the ol’ bat a couple of times,” Yamamoto said, “I feel like I can hit a hundred home runs now that this is over!”

“I heard that their next photo shoot is supposed to have a mafia theme!” Haru was saying, as the girls continued to chat about Secret Wish.

“I knew it!” Gokudera cried. “Their musical act is only a flimsy excuse to hide their _real_ identities…”

Tsuna just sighed, but didn’t fight the smile tugging on his lips.

* * *

Reborn smiled to himself, watching everyone chatter away, unaware that they were leaving him behind on the ledge. But he didn’t mind; he valued moments like this, seeing all of them cheerful and relatively free from burdens, watching them puzzle over a simple problem of youth.

“You didn’t tell them that you knew? Reborn-chan,” came the voice of Bianchi, who had been waiting around the corner on her bike. Fuuta, I-Pin, and Lambo, who had been with her, took off running toward Tsuna and the gang.

“No,” Reborn answered, “It was a good opportunity for a group exercise in cooperation.”

Bianchi smiled and told him she would go on ahead, having sensed his need to be alone for a moment.

Figuring out Haru’s secret had been easy enough. After all, he had to make certain, for the sake of the Vongola Family secrets, that an enemy agent wasn’t coercing Haru. He had gone directly to her after the first house visit, and she had confided into him her guilty feelings about her crush on a young musician.

Afterward, at her request, Reborn had sent Bianchi to meet her during the week. Indeed, all the girl had really needed was an older female companion to bear the weight of her confession and offer advice. She had told Haru that “crushes” were natural for a girl her age and was, in no way, a betrayal to anyone, especially since she wasn’t dating anybody at the moment. However, Haru had stated that she was waiting for a good opportunity to tell Kyoko and Hana, at least, but, evidently, her guilty feelings had bloomed unexpectedly, culminating in a dramatic teenage confession.

The events that had followed after Bianchi’s visit were simply…sources of entertainment and excuses for training. Their bonds as comrades and friends could always use more strengthening, especially with an uncertain future ahead of them. Amazing what the power of suggestion could do.

Looking at the passing clouds overhead, Reborn supposed that he had become a bit fond of the kids – but _only_ a little bit. He had a strict image to uphold, after all.

Nevertheless, the sound of Tsuna suddenly laughing filled Reborn with warmth, and he found himself hoping that he would still be there with them in ten, even twenty, years later.

After all, Tsuna was going to need an advisor when he stepped into power as the Tenth Vongola Boss, and Reborn couldn’t think of a better candidate than himself. Surrounded by powerful guardians and loyal allies, the Vongola Family would stand at the top of the world with their enemies kneeling at their feet.

“No-Good Tsuna,” he murmured, and chuckled. “I’ll make a hell of a boss out of you yet.”

His senses tingled, and without needing to look behind, Reborn spoke, “Nice of you to finally join us, Hibari.” Now here was another that needed more than a push into the ideal direction. “You were observing us for some time, weren’t you? It’s reassuring to know that our cloud guardian remained on emergency standby.”

A low, velvety voice replied, “I’ve just come for the fight that I was promised… _Reborn_.”

That was the first time Hibari had ever called him that. Kid was learning fast.

Reborn turned to see the ever-elusive skylark of the Vongolas, slowly approaching the wall with the gait of a predator stalking his prey. The eighteen-year-old still wore a prefect’s uniform with the familiar Namimori High School badge on the sleeve, accompanied by Hibird on his shoulder. Taller with a greater bloodlust for battle and a more stubborn will, Hibari would be a tough nut to crack, but Reborn was confident he and Tsuna would be able to maintain Hibari’s ties to the Vongolas.

Besides, Reborn looked forward to unleashing this monster into the underworld where clouds seldom drifted.

Hibari brought up one tonfa in front of him, waiting for an answer.

Reborn smirked. “Are you certain you want to pick a fight with me? I’m years ahead of you in combat experience and skill, you know.”

Hibari brought the second tonfa forward and transitioned to a battle-ready pose, mirroring the same smirk. “We’ll see about that.” Hibird flew off, escaping the imminent fight.

“I’m not merciful like Tsuna.”

“Good.”

“Hmm…I guess I could use the exercise. Very well, then.” Reborn leapt forward with Leon in his hand.

Flying forward and grinning viciously, Hibari met him in the middle with: “I’m going to enjoy biting you to death.”

Somewhere above the cacophony of bird chirps and gun shots and clanging metal, Tsuna’s panicked voice rang out, “Reborn! Hibari-san! Stop fighting in the middle of the—ahhh, I-Pin, get away, get away!! Everyone, hurry, she’s going to—”

An explosion rocked the ground, Hibari attacked unceasingly, and the usual chaos of Tsuna and his friends ensued and filled the streets with shouts and laughter.

Reborn smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that wasn't too anti-climactic. As stated at the beginning, this is the KHR fic I officially retired with last year and my only regret is that I couldn't feature Hibari more (he's my favourite character). If you thought you were seeing 8086 hints, you are correct, but this fic is still mostly gen. Anyway, thank you for reading if you've reached the end here.


End file.
